Dust preventive composition



Patented Apr. 30,

pus'r PREVENTIVE comosrrron Edward R. Butcher, Harmarvllle', Pa.,

Gulf Research 8; Development Company,

asslgnor to Pittsburgh, Pa, a corporation of Delaware No Drawing.

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to dust preventive compositions, and it isparticularly concerned with an improved liquid spraying agent adapted.to in playgrounds, training camps, the like. y

The principal object of this invention is to inhibit the surface dustingof the soil dirt walks and provide a stable dust-laying liquidcomposition resistant to removal from the soil by rain, andsubstantially without odor and color. Another object of this inventionis to provide a stable dust-laying liquid composition which has highwetting ability in contact with soil. Other objects will be more readilyapparent from the following detailed description of this invention.

or compositions have been employed for laying dust on unpaved highwaysand railroad beds. The principal characteristics desired in suchcompositions are permanence of the dustlaying and binding action of thesolution used and ease oi wetting, or penetration of the compositioninto the soil. The most widely used compositions for this purpose havebeen aqueous solutions of calcium chloride and heavy petroleum oils ofasphalt base. Solutions of calcium chloride are eilective because of thehygroscopic property of the calcium chloride deposited in the soil. Thechief disadvantage of calcium chloride, however, lies in the fact thatit is readily soluble in water and is soon washed away by the rain. Thecrude asphaltie oils are more lasting but are undesirable because oitheir stickiness, odor and color and rather low wettin ApplicationOctober lid, 1944, Serial No. 558,728

power. It the odor and color of such oils are removed by refining, theirpermanence-is also destroyed. One type of dust preventative using arefined petroleum distillate has also been proposed by Hunter (U'. 3.Patent 2,122,524). The proposed composition consists of a refinedpetroleum distillate of 22 to 31 A. P. I. gravity containing a smallquantity of hydrous degras.

This dust preventive composition-is lasting, has Y good odor and colorand has fair wetting properties, but is relativelyunstable and tends toform separate layers upon standing before application to dust-formingsurfaces.

In accordance with the present invention, it has been found that astable dust-laying composition which combines good resistance to re-'moval from soil by rain water, with good odor and color and good wettingproperties can be provided by incorporating in a petroleum distiland lowvolatility a small amount of a naphthenic acid compound with or late oflow viscosity without a wettinl aunt. The term naphthenic acid compound,as used herein and in the appended claims, includes crude and refinednaphthenic acids and the metal naphthenate salts and mixtures containingthem in predominating amounts.

For the base of the-dust-laying composition of this invention, anyrelatively non-volatile or high-boiling petroleum distillate may beemployed. However, it is advanteous to use a distillate oil fraction ofmoderately low viscosity. The distillate oil may be used in itsunrefined state, or it may be refined. The de ree of refining may becarried to any practical extent. A particularly satisfactory'petroleumoil fraction for the purpose of this invention is a distillate of from21 to 32' A. P; I. gravity having an SUS viscosity not under 55 secondsat F. and possessing a minimum of petroleum odor.

With-such a petroleum distillate there is admixed, according to thisinvention, a small amount of a naphthenic acid compound. Crudenaphthenic acids are particularly suitable, although satisfactoryresults may be obtained with refined naphthenic naphthenic acid compoundincorporated in the petroleum distillate is such that no substantialseparation of the naphthenic acid compound takes place on standing. Ingeneral, amounts corresponding to about 0.5 to 2.0 per cent by weight ofthe oil are used. When crude naphthenic acids are used in the oil, bestresults are obtained with concentrations of about 1 per cent by weight.Particularly good results are obtained with naphthenic acids having neutralization numbers on the order of about 200, but acids having lower orhigher neutralization numbers, for example, from 100 to 270 may be used.Of the metal naphthenate salts, best results have been obtained withcalcium naphthenate, tin naphthenate, zinc naphthenate and aluminumnaphthenate when used in concentrations of about 0.5 per cent, althougheffective improvement can be obtained with amounts as low as 0.05 percent by weight of the finished product. These low percentages of metalnaphthenates are particularly effective when used in admixture withnaphthenic acids. It is desirable in general when using mixtures ofmetal naphthenates and naphthenic acids that less than 0.5 per centstability and are resiltollt to-remov'al from the acids and metalnaphthenate' .salts. The amount of a solution may be improved, ifdesired, by the -additional incorporation of a minor amount of a wettingagent. Any suitable wetting agent may be used, and satisfactory resultshave been obtained with a variety of commercial wetting agents, such asTergitol penetrants, "Dresinderivative of7-ethyl-2r-rnethyl-4-undecanol; No.

7 is an aqueous solution of thesodium sulfate derivative of3,9-diethyl-6-tridecanol; and No. 08 is an aqueous solution of thesodium sulfate derivative of 2-ethylhexanol. Dresinate is a wellknowncommercial wetting agent containing alpha-terpineol and sodium oleate.Alkaterge-O is also a well-known commercial wetting agent of the highmolecular weight amine type compound.

If desired, a germicide may be added to the dust preventive compositionof my invention. In such cases, dichlorpentane, cresol, cresylic acid orthe like may be added. In most cases, it has been found desirable thatthe amount of 'such germicide be not greater than about 0.2 per cent.

In general, the dust-laying compositions which have been foundparticularly suitable comprise a petroleum oil distilllate of about 21to 32 A. P. I. gravity in an amount corresponding to 97 to 99.5 per centby weight; naphthenic acids in an amount corresponding to 0.5 to 1.75per cent by weight; Tergitol penetrant No. 4 in an amount correspondingto 0.03 to 0.1 per cent by weight with or without up to 0.1 per cent ofwater and 0.2 per cent of a germicide. Particularly good results havebeen obtained with a composition containing 98.85 per cent of apetroleum distillate, 1 per cent of crude naphthenic acids, 0.05 percent of Tergitol penetrant No. 4 and 0.1 per cent of water.

soil. However, the wetting properties of such flcation Board and theAmerican Society for Testing Materials (D 332-31 T) with the exceptionthat a standardized soil sample was used instead of a pigment. Theprocedure is as follows.

Take 1 gram, or any multiple thereof, of a pigment. Place the pigmentupon a marble slab or glass plate and gradually add the oil, drop bydrop, to the pigment, and after the addition of each drop thoroughlyincorporate the -oil with the pigment by the use of a stiff spatula.

The test is completed when exactly enough oil has been incorporated withthe pigment to produce a. very stifi, putty-like paste which does notbreak or separate. A laboratory burette is used to measure the amount ofoil incorporated Table I Viscosity w Pour gravity, 5' Color tralipoint,A. P. I. at R N. P. A. 2:113:21! o Oil. 24.1 106. 0 2 0. 04 011 Y 22. 3105.0 5 l. 90 40 Naphthenic acids 14. l 767 201. 8 5

In Table II are shown the compositions tested and the wetting power ofeach as determined by the standard rub-out test. Then is shown also acomparison of the respective results showing the percentage increase inwetting power of oil Y and each of the compositions over oil X which hadthe lowest wetting power.

Table II Comparison of dust laying oils on x on Y BleAnd Bliaand Big-1ndBigid on x. 100 98.85 Oil Y- 100 98. 85 98. 9 99. 85 Naphthenicacids. 1. 0 l. 0 i. 0 "Tergitol" ponetrant No. 4 0.05 0.05 0.05 Water.0.1 0. l 0. l 0. l Amt. liquid to wet 100 gms. soil .-cc 34. 4 29. 3 27.1 25. 6 .15. 8 25. 4 Relative area wetted per unit vol. of oil to unitdepth 01 soil 1.0 1.17 1.27 1.34 1.33 l. 21 Increase in wetting powerover oil X per cent--. 17 27 34 33 21 1 "Tergitol" penetrant No. 7 wasused instead orTcrgitol" penetrant N o. 4.

Exam I gave a product having a wetting power 27 per The data given inTable II demonstrate the remarkable effect obtained when 1 per cent ofnaphthenic acids is added to the oils. In blend A it will be noted thatthe addition, in substantially the proportions shown, of naphthenicacids, Tergitol penetrant No. 4, and water to oil X cent greater thanthe wetting power of the unblended oil. By adding the same agents insubstantially the same proportion to oil Y (blend B), a product having a34 per cent increased wetting power over 011 X was obtained. In thisconnection, however, "it should be noted that the oil Y itself is 17 percent better than the oil X.

when the "Tergitol was omitted from blend is,

the increase in wetting power over oil x changed only from 34 to 33 percent (blend C). When the naphthenic acids were omitted from blend 3,however, the wetting power dropped irom 34 to 21 per cent (blend D).Thus, the eflect or naphthenic acids on the wetting power of an oildustpreventing composition is quite pronounced.

Another blend, which was not shown in the above table,'was made similarto blend A except that 2.0 per cent ofnaphthenic acids were used insteadof 1 per cent. However, the larger amount of naphthenic acids gave onlya slightly increased'wetting power. The addition to the oils of morethan 2 per cent of naphthenic acids had a detrimental effect upon thestability of the resulting compositions on standing.

Exsurri: II

In this example there'are illustrated the results obtained-when usingmixtures of naphthenic acids and metal naphthenates in dustlayingcompositions prepared according to this invention. In Table IIcomparative results are shown between compositions prepared from oil X,above referred to inEirample I, and this oil v0.05 and 0.5 per cent oftin naphthenate.

..'a,soo,4e4 3 and/or com ined with various other details withoutailecting the peculiar results obtained, and without departing from thespirit or the invention or the scope oi'{ the appended claims in which Iintend to claim, all the patentable novelty inherent in my invention. av WhatIclaimisty' 1. A stable liquid dust-layinscomposition resistant toremoval from soil by water and having high'wetting power comprising97.85to 99.47 per cent by weight of a low viscosity, low volatility petroleumdistillate oil of 21 to 32 degrees A. P. I, gravity, 0.5 to 1.75 percent by weight of naphthenic acid, 0.03 to 0.1 per cent of a wettingagent consisting essentially of a sodium salt of a sulfonated higheralcohol, up to 0.1 per cent of water and up to 0.2 per cent of agermicide.

2. A stable liquid dust-laying composition re sistant to removal fromsoil by water and having high wetting power comprising 98.85 per cent ora petroleum distillate oil or 21 to 32 degrees A. P. I. gravity, 1.0 percent of naphthenic acid, 0.05 per cent of a wetting agent consistingessentially oi the sodium sulfate derivative of 'I-ethyl-2-methyl4-undecanol and 0.1 per cent of water.

'8. A stable liquid dust-laying composition resistant to removal fromsoil by water and having high wetting power comprising'9'8.85 per centof a petroleum distillate oil or 21 to8 2 degrees A. P. I. gravity, 1.0percent of naphthenic acid, 0.05 per cent of a wetting agent consistingessentially of Table 111 Oil blends (make-up, percent by wt.)

Oil x 1 2 8 4 5 on x 10o 90.0 no. a 99.95 as s, as Naphthenic acids 1.0 1. 0 00 'lin-na hthenate (12.2% Sn) 0. 5 0.05 0.5 0 06 AmtJquidtowetgms. soil .oo.. 84.4 27.5 88.2 28.5 27.4 8 Relative area wetted per unitvol. of oil to-unit depth 01 soiL 1. 0 25 1. 21 1. 10 1. 20 i. 28 Percent in wetting power over oil x 25 21 19 20 28 it will be observed fromthese results that combinations oi the naphthenate with naph- .thenicacids are also effective for the purpose of this invention. In all ofthese tests the standard rub-out method referred to above in Example Iwas used. i

The foregoing specification and description inelude the essential anddistinctive thought 01m! invention, but it is to be distinctlyunderstood that the same may be modified in various ways the sodiumsulfate derivative or 3,9diethyl 6- tridecanol.

4. A stable liquid dust-laying composition resistantto removal from soilby water and having high wetting power comprising 98.85 per cent or apetroleum distillate oil of 21 to 32 degrees A. P. I. gravity, 1.0 percent of naphthenic acid, 0.05 'per cent or a wetting agent consistingessentially of the sodium sulfate derivative of 2-ethylhexanol.

EDWARD R. BUTCHER.

